Hanoi’s motorcycle ban unfeasible: transport minister

Public transport won't be ready to cope with the proposed 2025 ban.

Vietnam’s Minister of Transport Truong Quang Nghia has told authorities in Hanoi that it will not be possible to impose a ban on motorcycle traffic in the capital by 2025 as set out in a previous proposal.

At a meeting on Wednesday with Vu Van Vien, the director of Hanoi's transport department, Nghia cited experts who say the 2025 deadline for the ban is not practical.

“One of the reasons is that public transport in the capital at that time may not be able to meet public demand,” the minister said.

Currently, there are nearly 5.9 million vehicles in Hanoi, including 596,000 cars. The rising number of vehicles has placed big pressure on the capital, Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of Hanoi's People’s Committee, told the meeting.

Although there has been no final decision on the city-wide ban, the municipal government remains committed to its plans to reduce the number of private vehicles in the coming years.

In June, Hanoi outlined a draft that said the city will “gradually reduce the number of private vehicles and aims to stop the operations of motorcycles by 2025”.

The municipal government has already banned all vehicles from entering Hoan Kiem Lake (or Sword Lake) and surrounding areas to transform them into a pedestrian zone every evening from Friday to Sunday starting September 1.

The pilot program approved by the city's People's Committee aims to elevate the city’s tourism appeal around one of its most popular and iconic areas. Hoan Kiem Lake was considered the heart of Hanoi before the capital expanded in 2008.